Whitehorse High School teacher awarded “Outstanding Art Educator of the Year”

San Juan Record Classifieds, Events, Businesses In Monticello, San Juan County, Utah

Mar 25, 2009 | 1793 views | 0 | 69 | |

On March 7, at the 37th annual Utah All-State High School Art Show Awards Ceremony in Springville, Michael V. Porter was awarded “Outstanding Art Educator of the Year”.

The award was presented by Dr. Al Merkley from the BYU David O. McKay School of Education.

Porter, who teaches art at Whitehorse High School, was selected from many art educators throughout the state of Utah. Porter has taught at Whitehorse High School for the past four years and at Monument Valley High School for six years.

Over the past four years, Porter has taught students from seventh grade through twelfth a full spectrum of art foundations... from printmaking to ceramics, typography to cartooning. He teaches disciplines of art history, criticism, and production through a theme-based curriculum and a studio hands on approach.

Whitehorse High School is a state school on the Navajo Reservation, with 99 percent Native American.

Porter is also head coach of the girls basketball team, which placed fifth in the state tournament in Richfield this year.

From 2002 to 2005, he completed a MFA degree with an emphasis in Ceramics and Sculpture at Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah.

While at BYU, Porter taught Beginning to Intermediate ceramic courses and courses at Utah Valley University.

Porter received a BFA degree from Utah State University in 1972; completed a teaching degree from Southern Utah University in 1989, and received a degree in Business from the University of Southern California in 1985. He worked for 13 years for Safeway stores after graduating from Utah State in 1972.

Porter began his teaching career in 1987 at Manti High School and Ephraim Middle School. The next year, after adding two ceramics classes, he became a full time art teacher.

Porter had many successful art students that received awards at the Springville Art Museum High School show and three Sterling Scholar awards.

Porter coached basketball at Manti High School; and taught for six years at Manti High School.

After a two year stint as a Dental Ceramist/Technician, Porter began teaching art in beautiful Monument Valley, Utah on the Navajo Reservation; and taught art in Monument Valley for six years before taking leave to complete an MFA.

Porter is still active as a studio artist and teaches others by example - that they can also have a successful life in doing what they enjoy doing .

The San Juan Record welcomes comments on our stories. Please be civil, respectful, focused and humane. Postings are not edited and are the responsibility of the author. You agree not to post comments that are abusive, threatening or obscene. Postings may be removed at the discretion of sjrnews.com